Railway-rail joint.



No. 838,429. PATIINTED DEG. II 1906. B. LEWBIIBNG.

RAILWAY RAIL JOINT.

APPLIATION FILED AUG.30, 1908.

PATENT OFFIOE.

'EDWARD LEWERENG, OF DAVIDSON, MAINE.

RAILWAY-RAIL JOINT.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 11, 1906.

Application filed August 30, 1906. Serial No. 332,635.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD LEWERENG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Davidson, in the county of Penobscot, State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Rail Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use.

the same.

This invention has relation to railway-rail joints; and it has for its object the connection of the meeting ends of two rails through the medium of sliding blocks and catches arranged on opposite sides of the grooved web of the rails, so that the ends may be held securely together and be readily disconnected when desired.

The invention is shown as embodied in the device portrayed in the annexed drawings, forming a part of this specification, in view of which the invention will be first described with respect to its construction and mode of operation and then be pointed out in the subjoined claims.

Of the said drawings, Figure 1 is a view of one side of the meeting ends of two rails, showing the slides as in position connecting them. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken in the plane of line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference designate similar parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

In the drawings, 10 and 11 designate the meeting ends of two railway-rails. 12 designates the ball of the rails, 13 the web, and 14 the flanged base. The immediate preceding description is not only that of the rails shown in the drawings, but is that as well of railwayrails as commonly made.

In carrying out my improvements I cut away a portion of the side of the web 13 the full width thereof at the end of each rail on both sides and undercut the sides of the ball 15 and undergroove the flange of the base of the rails, as shown at 15', so as to admit into said grooves the slides 16 the tongues 17 on the sides of which slides extend into the undercut grooves of the ball and flange stated. In addition to the foregoing I form narrow longitudinal grooves 16 in the center of each of the wide grooves made, as before stated, in the sides of the end of the rail 11, which narrow grooves do not extend to the end oi the said rail, but stop short thereof.

17 designates pins that extend through the rear end of each of the slides, the inner ends projecting beyond the inner surface of the latter into said narrow grooves 16 and acting as stops to limit both the forward and backward movement of the slides.

Under the construction thus far described the slides may be moved forward on each side of the rails in the wide grooves in the web of the rail 11, so that their forward ends will extend into the wide groove in the rail 10, the slides in this position extending across the line of the meeting ends of the two rails and in this way joining them.

In order to maintain the slides in the position of joining the ends of the rails, I secure a notched block 18 to op Y osite sides of the web of rail 10 just forwar of the slide and attach a pivoted latch 19 on the latter, having a hooked free end adapted to catch in the notch 20 in the block 18, and thus hold the slides in position, as stated. Each latch is provided near its rear end with a notch or offset that may be engaged by a screw-driver or other means to move the slides back when the latch is released from its hold in the notch 20 of the block 18, and so release the ends of the rails that they may be .moved or taken away without hindrance. The latches 19, as is obvious, will be made sufliciently resilient to permit of their engagement with the notches 20 and their disengagement therefrom without appreciably bending the same.

By my invention the meeting ends of railway-rails are not only releasably joined, but when the slide is in position to connect the ends they are held in positive alinement.

What is claimed is- 1. In a railway-rail joint the combination with the meeting ends of the rails having grooves formed in their web on opposite sides, slides arranged in said grooves and ex-` tending across the meeting ends of the rails, stops connecting the slides with one rail, blocks on the other rail and latches on the slides connecting them with the blocks.

2. In a railway-rail joint the combination with the meeting ends of the rails having IOO grooves formed in their Webs and undercut In testimony whereof I aiX my signature grlovelsdmade in teballnd flange othe in presence of tWo Witnesses. ra s, s 1 es arrange m sal grooves an eX- terlding across the meeting ends of the rails, EDVARD LEWERENG 5 stops connecting the slides With one rail, Witnesses:

blocks on the other rail, and latches on the ERNEST E. MORSE, slides connecting them With the blocks. CARRIE M. DONLEY. 

